Museum History: Museum's preparations for war

Graham Howarth

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Graham was responsible for moving many cases of important butterfly specimens and collections into a converted air-raid shelter in the basement of the Museum's main building.

During the War, Graham served in Singapore, where he was captured by the Japanese and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in Changi. Despite these desperate circumstances, Graham continued to collect butterflies in Changi, amassing a large collection of tropical specimens which are now held in the Entomology Department. Once Graham had returned to the Museum, he replaced the specimens that had earlier been moved to safety.